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So, recently, ElDewrito was given notice from Microsoft, and as of yet there is no official statement from the ElDewrito team regarding the matter. But I suspect that the events that transpired could lead to some potential concern for the future or Project: Infinity and any other fan-made Halo content - made by us or by other teams.
Currently, there have been statements made on Halo Waypoint, as well as some words from Frank O'Connor regarding the ordeal, links to which will be posted at the bottom of this topic.
From Halo Waypoint
Some of this content has been omitted to reduce post length. Please view the full announcement here so that you know all the details.
Today we want to let our community know that Microsoft has initiated actions to protect its Halo intellectual property in the wake of the recent “ElDewrito” PC release. Community created content has long been a key pillar in the Halo franchise and something we have continuously sought to support – from the early beginnings of Red vs. Blue to Forge-made maps & modes to the “Halo Custom Edition” to original recent fan creations like “Installation 01.” These projects, and others like them, have one key factor in common – they fit within Microsoft’s established content usage guidelines.
...
As this project reverberated across the community, our team took a step back to assess the materials and explore possible avenues, while Microsoft, like any company, has a responsibility to protect its IP, code and trademarks. It’s not optional in other words.
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As Microsoft’s need to protect its IP spun up, we reached out to members of the ElDewrito team to have an open discussion about the project and the admittedly difficult situation we all find ourselves in. The ElDewrito team is understandably upset at this outcome given the time they’ve each invested in this project, but they understand the legal implications and the need to press pause on this work.
...
From Frank O'Connor on ResetEra
Some of this content has been omitted to reduce post length. Please view the full announcement here so that you know all the details.
BTW, we’re not “shutting down the mod” or going after the Eldewrito crew - we’re enacting action to remove the Halo Online code and packages from places it’s being hosted. The distinction may seem like semantics to a lot of folks, and I don’t blame them for assuming that, but to be clear, this is a legally necessary step to protect code, product, IP, trademarks and copyrights, and is not optional. We’re a publicly traded company, and we have a fiduciary and legal responsibility to our shareholders, and further, if we don’t take steps to protect it, then we actually run the legal risk of losing it - and there’s code and content in there that is still very much in use.
The general sentiment that can be drawn is that the issue isn't with ElDewrito itself, its servers, or anything of the sort - but rather to the ms23 component used in it - Halo Online. For those unfamiliar with the inner workings of Halo Online, ms23 is the version of the game that the mod runs on. For those also unaware potentially, ElDewrito is, in reality, a mod - a mod for Halo Online. The issue is that on the Reddit page for Halo Online/ElDewrito, full installers - ms23 included - are being distributed. It's entirely possible that the Dewrito team and their ability to continue modding Halo Online will face very minimal pushback from Microsoft - especially as 343 Industries currently has actually liked the work of the ElDewrito team.
Granted, none of this is certain. Microsoft may choose to shut down the team's future work and their master server - we will know a lot more when an official statement is made, and we will reply to this post (or, if need be, a separate announcement entirely) when there is one from the Dewrito team.
But what does this mean for us?
In short, virtually nothing. Fan-projects have continuously been given the green light from 343 and/or ignored entirely. There is no issue with these. They operate on their own engines, use no Microsoft, 343, or Bungie code/assets, and don't charge for access. They all follow the Game Content Usage Rules set by Microsoft. Project: Infinity and even Blamite do not break these rules.
Blamite, while it operates similarly to how Halo's engine operates, does not use ANY Microsoft code (with exceptions being DirectX and other such libraries of course). It also isn't inherently a "Halo" game in itself, merely a set of tools used to build them. Project: Infinity, like other fan projects, doesn't use Halo assets and doesn't make profit for Elaztek. It doesn't use any code from the official Halo titles, and follows the Microsoft Game Content Usage Rules. Fear not for the future of us or Project: Infinity, we are safe.
For those interested in ElDewrito and it's current situation, you can find all the relevant links below. Keep an eye on them as well as here at Elaztek for any updates on the situation.
343i Announcement: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/eldewrito-community-content
ElDewrito Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/HaloOnline/
ElDewrito Download Page/Changelog: https://www.reddit.com/r/HaloOnline/wiki/index/download
Comments by Frankie: https://www.resetera.com/threads/microsoft-initiaties-action-to-protect-halo-ip-in-the-wake-of-eldewrito-halo-online-mod.38406/page-3#post-7164086
Direct Download for ElDewrito: http://www.mediafire.com/file/rtmgvh67oy4yzgp/ElDewrito_0.6.exe
ElDewrito Website: https://eldewrito.com/